Getting stung on shipping, buyer paying less than actual cost

[reborn2c517]

This happened again to me and I'm not what is causing it. I think it's usually when I do the padded flat rate envelope, USPS .    Ebay will charge the buyer $7.50 and the shipping ends up being $8.74

Happened yesterday again, I checked to see what size I had entered and weight and it was accurate. I actually had overestimated the weight by a few oz. 

I don't know what is causing it but I don't want to keep paying part of the shipping especially when I'm not making much on these items anyway.

[mtgraves7984]

I checked your last two sales, and you only charge the buyer $7.50 for s&h (in your listings), when your Commercial price for a USPS FR Bubble Mailer is $8.74. You need to raise your shipping cost if you use that mailer. 

[reborn2c517]

I guess I thought If USPS raised rates it would automatically be reflected on Ebay.  I just looked and it looks like I'd set up a shipping policy and so I went to "edit" and looked and I had 7.50 in there which was the rate before it was recently raised. I'm pretty new to Ebay so I clearly don't understand the shipping policies aspect.  Thank you for your help ❤️

[onefootflipper1]

Looking at your items you are still losing money on shipping on every single one of them.  Ebay charges final value fees on shipping and small boxes are hard to source free in any real numbers so I assume you must buy some of them. You probably want to increase all your shipping charges by about 25 percent.

Flat rate is almost never the correct choice. Even the few I have charging base on flat rate rarely ever actually end up getting shipped that way.

[wastingtime101]

---

@reborn2c517 wrote:

I guess I thought If USPS raised rates it would automatically be reflected on Ebay.  I just looked and it looks like I'd set up a shipping policy and so I went to "edit" and looked and I had 7.50 in there which was the rate before it was recently raised. I'm pretty new to Ebay so I clearly don't understand the shipping policies aspect.  Thank you for your help ❤️

---

Switch from flat shipping to calculated shipping @reborn2c517 . Yes, you can use calculated shipping for flat rate boxes and envelopes. eBay will automatically update rates when you use calculated shipping. Flat rates are determined by you so eBay won't touch them.

[ltldpr]

Not OP, but I just started adding weight to my listings because I'm getting charged more than the buyer too, and I noticed that after adding 6-8 oz, the displayed rates are not going up. 

I haven't entered dimensions into the listing tool since I read on these boards, that you don't have to (maybe a year ago?). Until the recent postage rate increase, there was never a problem. I'd just enter dimensions, weight stayed the same, on the purchase label page after I made a sale and was usually charged the same amount as the buyer.

Now I'm being charged more than the buyer whenever I make a sale and upping the weight of an item on the edit listing page does not increase the shown postage amount. I enter a zip code in Boston on the live page to see what postage would be going there, or one from Beverly Hills for the same reason. 02134 and 90210 respectively.

I'm going to take some screenshots.

[monica-sells]

@wastingtime101 

don't forget to post the 'required' size for the flat rate options to be available

I can't seem to find that little table (pass the prevagen)

I only know 1 for sure for flat rate padded (12 X 9 X 1)

for the option/choice to appear for the buyer

and under 4.0 lbs

[ltldpr]

I added 8 oz. It went from 2 lbs 0 oz to 2 lbs 8 oz. 

No change in shipping charge. 

Before adding the weight: 

After adding 8 oz to the weight: 

Should I make my own post?

[wastingtime101]

---

@monica-sells wrote:

@wastingtime101 

don't forget to post the 'required' size for the flat rate options to be available

I can't seem to find that little table (pass the prevagen)

I only know 1 for sure for flat rate padded (12 X 9 X 1)

for the option/choice to appear for the buyer

and under 4.0 lbs

---

Is this what you're looking for @monica-sells ? If the OP is using business policies that will bypass the below issue for listings, but it will still be relevant to the label purchase page.

Not sure why you are saying "under 4 lbs" - flat rate boxes and envelopes are up to 70 lbs.

When package dimensions entered on the listing form exceed eBay's programmed dimensions, eBay will not show you those shipping options when setting up your listing. To access these services, enter the following package dimensions:

• USPS Priority Flat Rate Envelopes: 12x9x1
• USPS Priority Small Flat Rate Box: 8x5x1
• USPS Priority Med Flat Rate Box: 14x12x3 or 11x8x6
• USPS Priority Large Flat Rate Box: 12x12x6
• eBay Standard Envelope: max weight 3 oz / dim 11x6x1 (actual thickness of physical envelope cannot exceed 1/4" and it must be flexible)
• USPS First Class Letter (untracked): max weight 3.5 oz / dim 11.5x6x1 (actual thickness of physical letter cannot exceed 1/4")
• USPS First Class Large Envelope/Flat (untracked): max weight 13oz / dim 15x12x1 (actual thickness of physical envelope cannot exceed 3/4" and it must be flexible & of uniform thickness)

[wastingtime101]

Hi @ltldpr - your issue is due to your package dimensions. Read more here and start your own post if you have additional questions.

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Shipping/eBay-launching-USPS-Cubic-rates-Jan-21-2024/td-p/34236276

[buyselljack2016]

@ltldpr 

As wastingtime posted........  it's the "cubic" size thing for your rates, so weight....  to a certain point does not matter.

It may be the dimensions that you have--- or don't have that is causing the buyer- seller cost difference.

Sometime not having dimensions/or different dimensions in the listing makes a difference, sometimes it does not.

[monica-sells]

ooops...that's for International Flat Rate Envelopes ONLY

....my bad

[wastingtime101]

Ah, yes, @monica-sells - the international limits are different. Good to know where your number came from.

For international Priority flat rate envelopes and small boxes the limit is 4 lbs, and for medium and large boxes the limit is 20 lbs.

[ltldpr]

@wastingtime101 I had forgotten about the cubic rate thing. My eyes glaze over trying to understand it. Might as well be speaking a foreign language. I just wanted to sell some stuff on eBay, now I need to figure cubic whatever and include something about rounding down by 1/4" but also rounding up at other times. There go my eyes!

I had actually read your post when you made it and even commented on it, but that was when USPS had forced me into a little month long vacation due to the Houston/Missouri City failings. 

Guess I'll pull out every box and enter dimensions for them. At least I haven't started listing any new items, because USPS is still spreading "Delivering for America" to the rest of the country, but I did notice that eBay actually mentioned USPS issues in an announcement, finally.

[ltldpr]

@buyselljack2016 

Yeah, I had forgotten about the cubic thing - which I do not understand. I'll just pull out every box and enter dimensions for them. I still don't know if I'm supposed to round up (like we've been told to do for-basically-ever) or round down because of 1/4" whatever that's in wastingtime's linked post. 

I'll enter dimensions for anything new that I list, but I'm still waiting for USPS to finish taking "Delivering for America" to the rest of the country before I list new items. It messed up the Houston area for several months, causing me to go on a month long vacation, and it seems to be affecting Seattle now.